NINGBO, May 16 -- A fishing boat with seven crew members aboard remained missing off the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province Monday evening after losing contact for about 20 hours, local authorities said.

The boat, Zhexiangyu 40207, lost contact at about 11 p.m. Sunday in the East China Sea, the Xiangshan county government said.

Four rescue vessels and a helicopter with the Chinese maritime authorities and fishing boats in the nearby sea waters are searching the area for the missing boat, the government said.